Nyika National Park

Nyika National Park | Nyika Plateau, Malawi

Nyika Plateau is one of Malawi's loveliest national parks, famous for its temperate climate, green hills and river valleys. It’s perfect for trekking and walking safaris as well as conventional 4x4 game drives.

Lovely memories of a holiday to Tanzania

Thank you for organising our trip for us - the itinerary was spot on and we had a lovely time together.

Faye and Elsa

With its green rolling hills, mountain streams, river valleys and occasional pockets of evergreen forest, Nyika Plateau is one of Malawi’s loveliest spots. It’s perfect for trekking and walking safaris as well as conventional 4x4 game drives.

Reaching a height of over 2600 metres above sea level and covering an area of 3200sq kms, Nyika is Malawi’s largest national park. The game here is rather more limited than in some of Malawi’s other reserves, such as Majete, but the bucolic scenery, and temperate climate, more than compensates.

Indeed, Nyika is most famous for its huge variety of flora, with over 200 species of orchid and many rare wild flowers and golden grasses present within the reserve. Many species of butterfly, chameleon, and toad are also endemic to the plateau. In terms of big game, high concentrations of leopard are present (but elusive!), as are warthog, bushpig, eland, zebra, roan antelope and elephant.

Birding is excellent with over 400 species recorded, including the rare Denham’s bustard.

In and around Nyika Plateau, MalawiThere are two place to sleep within Nyika, Chelinda Lodge and Chelinda Camp, both of which offer comfortable accommodation and modest rates.

Game-viewing in Nyika is on foot or by 4x4, though horse-riding safaris may soon be reintroduced to the plateau.

Accommodation

Chelinda Camp

Chelinda Camp is set on the edge of a broad pine plantation, overlooking a large trout dam and, beyond it, the vast grasslands of the high Nyika Plateau.

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Chelinda Lodge

Chelinda Lodge is situated in the centre of the high grasslands of the Nyika Plateau, a region which ranks among Africa's most dramatic yet least-visited landscapes.

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Testimonial

We returned home from Botswana on Wednesday morning - sadly. It was all perfect and we had a wonderful time.